Napoleon Hill liked to tell a story about his grandfather, a wagon builder in North Carolina. When the old man cleared the land for cultivation, he always left a few oak trees in the middle of the field at the mercy of the elements, unsheltered by other trees in the forest. It was from those trees that his grandfather made the wagons’ wheels. Because they were forced to struggle against the fury of nature, they grew strong enough to bear the heaviest load.

Welcome difficult challenges, for the greatest opportunities will come from challenges that force you to expand your mind as you search for creative solutions.

During life’s bleakest hours, take solace in the fact that you are strengthening yourself through struggle so that in the future you will be prepared to take on even greater challenges. Like the old oak tree, you grow strong only when you are forced to struggle.